Over 40 local and overseas speakers are invited to this year’s Fashion Summit (HK). There will be sharing on the fashion industry updates, discussions on sustainable fashion and the future fashion design. At Fashion Summit (HK) 2023, there will also be International Conference, Exhibitions, Fashion Shows, Business Networking, Cultural Displays, Innovation Demonstration and many more for you to discover, and it is absolutely FREE of charge to join all these activities at Xiqu Centre!

This upcoming Fashion Summit (HK) event is now open for registration. Should you be interested, please register online HERE by 9 Oct.

For program details, please go to https://www.fashionsummit.hk/conference/programme/

The details are listed in the following:

“Countryside Cleanup 2023″ is the latest programme organized by Green Sense.

To tackle the problem of countryside plastic pollution, participants are not only going to clean up the plastic pollution spots, but also implemeting “Reuse”, “Recycle” & “Reduce” the single-use plastics.

Each local Non-Governmental Organizations or Charity Institutions are free to apply one 3-hour activity. Countryside cleanup, waste audit, transportation and tools are included.

If applicants are not able to arrange outdoor activities, cleanup ambassadors can be assigned to speak at venue provided by school or organization for 1 hour. The sharing session covers plastic waste problem, cleanup and green living experiences, as well as green hiking etiquettes.

Photos and video recording may be included. Participants should fill in the post-event questionnaires and pledge for Green Living.

The last event day of the Programme is 31 August 2023. 20 beneficiary group will be determined on a first come first served basis. Successful applicants will receive a confirmation email with activity details after 5 working days. Please contact 8100 4877 for any details.

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/6vstYdHbjzXXpcra6

This programme is sponsored by Overlook Investments Limited.

We are looking for suitable candidates who are passionate in Waste reduction and Environmental Education to join our team.

Job Duties

• Mainly be responsible for Municipal Solid Waste Charging Trial Programme and related activities
• Assisting online and face-to-face events such as DIY workshop and seminar/webinar
• Handling online promotion such as maintaining website, social media platforms and advertising
• Communicating with the Government departments, public and private sectors, schools, other NGOs & the public members
• Supporting events at night, on weekends and outdoor occasionally

Requirements

• 2 years working experience are desired
• Tertiary education graduate in relevant field such as Geography, Environmental Science or other related fields
• Basic skill in popular graphic software (e.g. Photoshop or illustrator) is an advantage
• Good communication skills
• Able to work independently
• Immediate available is highly considered

Green Sense latest project “Green Living Union in Yau Tsim Mong 2021″ is sponsored by the Yau Tsim Mong District Council. Green Ambassadors from all ethnicities will apply what they have learnt earlier, in order to help promote the messages of Green Living in the district.

From 18th September 2021 to 31st October 2021, Green Sense will organize 5 environmental activities in schools and the community. By providing free talks and workshops, we hope to let students and residents acquire environmental knowledge as well as live a green life.

Free Talks and Workshops

We will organize 5 environmental activities in schools and the community.
Interested organizations are welcomed!

Target: School and community centre in Yau Tsim Mong District (with non-Chinese speaking participants will be prioritized)
Quota: 5 (First-come-first-serve basis)
Date: 18/9/2021 – 31/10/2021
Activity content (One of the followings):
(1) Waste Reduction Talk
(2) Eco-enzyme Workshop
(3) Used Banner Upcycling Workshop
(4) Handmade Recycled Paper Workshop

ENROLL NOW: https://bit.ly/3gqfHOU

Green Living On-street Promotion

5 Bilingual promotion days will be held for waste reduction and recycling education. The details are listed as below:

24/9/2021 (Fri), 15/10/2021 (Fri) 14:30-16:30
Public pavement outside Yau Tsim Mong Multicultural Activity Centre, Yau Mai Tei

29/9/2021 (Wed), 13/10/2021 (Wed) 14:30-16:30
Public pavement near Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station Exit C

20/10/2021 (Wed) 14:30-16:30
Public pavement outside Park Lane Shopper’s Boulevard, Tsim Sha Tsui

Free of charge! No registration is required.

An eco-friendly soap made from waste cooking oil as a souvenir will be given on a First-come-first served basis.

See you all in Yau Tsim Mong soon!!

Three Paper Two Plastics

China, Hong Kong SAR government emphasized on educating the public to recycle the clean “Three Paper Two plastics” into household, workplace and roadside recycling system respectively. “Three paper” indicates cardboard, newspaper and office paper, while “Two Plastics” indicated beverage plastic bottles and personal care product plastic bottles. Accordingly, the usual recycling bins that appeared on roadside and estates could only accept “Three Paper and Two Plastics” (except the estates participated in the Plastic Recycling Pilot Scheme).

Image 1: “Three Paper Two Plastics” (Three Paper: Newspaper, Office Paper and Cardboard). Source: Hong Kong Waste Reduction Website [2]

Image 2: “Three Paper Two Plastics” (Two plastics: Beverage plastic bottles and Personal care product plastic bottles). Source: Hong Kong Waste Reduction Website [2]

Other plastics except the “Two Plastics”

Apart from the “Two plastics” mentioned above, there are generally seven types of plastics, in which six of them could be recycled:

• No.1 (PET)*: Beverage Bottle Lid, Plastic Cup etc., where a concave and big dot could be found on the bottom of the bottle.
• No.2*: Laundry Soap, Laundry Softener, Shower Gel Bottle etc., where a horizontal interface could be found on the bottom of the bottle.
• No.3 (PVC): Cling Wrap, Raincoat etc. This type of plastic will release harmful chemicals when it encounters combustion. There is currently a lack of technology in treating this type of plastic in Hong Kong.
• No.4 (LDPE): Plastic Bag with handle, Tissue Bag, Fruit Net, Bubble Wrap
• No.5 (PP): Microwaved Food Container, Bottle Lid, Transparent Bag
• No.6 (PS): CD Case, Yakult Bottle, Polyfoam, Plastic Cup Lid (Translucent)
• No.7: CD, Acrylic, Polycarbonate PC, Resin Cutlery

*Bottle Lid and Label belongs to different types of plastics, and therefore separate recycling is required.

Public and citizens may visit “Community Green Stations” (CGS) for recycling the plastics listed above (No.1-No.7, excluding No.3 & Polyfoam).

For detail of CGS, please visit: https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/community/cgs_intro.htm

Polyfoam

Polyfoam is commonly utilized for single use food container, filler of the packaging etc. In spite of the wide variety of distinct polyfoam, a lot of them could be recycled. For example:

• Disposable food container (Rinse out food and oil stain before recycling)
• Polyfoam Packaging Box
• Foam Fruit Net
• Packaging Buffer/ Polyfoam EPS Board
• Packing peanuts and Filler

The collected polyfoam will be compressed and go through a number of recycling processes, eventually transformed into recycled PS/ PE materials.

Details of Polyfoam recycling stations, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/polyfoamrecyclinghk/

Image 3: Diagram for distinguishing Recyclable and Non-recyclable Polyfoam. Source: Polyfoam Recycling Scheme

Paper Package Drinks Recycling

In 2018, the daily average of carton-boxes disposal amount was 67 tonne in Hong Kong [3]. Many have misunderstood that paper-packaged drinks cannot be recycled, which, in reality, they could be recycled!

Simple steps to recycling paper-packaged drinks:

• Step 1: remove plastic straw and wrapping
• Step 2: Cut and flatten the carton
• Step 3: Rinse with water*
• Step 4: Place into recycling sites:  MilMill recycling stations**

* Before recycling, it is important to clean the cartons with water. If the cartons are contaminated, mould may develop in the processing stage, rendering the recycled material spoiled garbage.

**For more paper-packaged drinks carton collection points, please visit Mil Mill’s collection point map:  bit.ly/MilMillMap

Image 4. A Guide to Recycling Paper Packaged Drinks

More details about Green Sense Charity Event: Drink Carton Boxes Recycling Programme, please visit: http://greensense.org.hk/en/?p=5575

Plastic Recycling Pilot Scheme

The Environmental Protection Department has initiated the Plastic Recycling Pilot Scheme early on in January of 2020, with an aim to expand the category of existing recyclables and increase the numbers of recycling facilities, so as to prepare the rising number of recyclables in Hong Kong in the future. The two-year Pilot scheme is rolled out through which contractors are engaged under service contracts to provide free collection service for waste plastics from registered premises for non-commercial and non-industrial sources such as public and private housing estates, schools and public institutions, Community Recycling Centres and CGSs in the districts [4].

A wide range of recyclables can be collected under the Pilot Scheme, including plastic bags (e.g. carrier bags, rice bags, plastic packaging bags), plastic containers (e.g. plastic bottles, plastic buckets, plastic boxes, microwave containers, yogurt cups, tofu boxes), polyfoam (e.g. fruit nets, polyfoam boxes, protective polyfoam materials), plastic tableware, plastic straws, CDs, bubble wraps and other plastic packaging materials [4].

The contractor – Success Grand Environmental Limited will undertake the Pilot Scheme in Eastern District that have progressively commenced since late January 2020, while the pilot scheme in Kwun Tong and Sha Tin districts are expected to commence in the third quarter of 2020.  Take Success Grand Environmental Limited as an example, the contractor will allocate the collected recyclable plastics from over 70 collection points in Eastern District to Yuen Long Recycling Centre [5]. The recyclable plastics are undergoing further process such as sorting, crashing and granulating into plastic raw materials or recycled plastic products. They will be exported or supplied to the local and overseas market so as to ensure that the waste plastics collected are properly handled.

Image 5: Different types of recyclable plastics under the Plastic Recycling Pilot Scheme. Source: The Environmental Protection Department

Image 6: The Recycling Bin under the Plastic Recycling Pilot Scheme

The Public and private estates that have in the pilot scheme are able to recycle plastics and polyfoam with No.1-2, 4-7 in the designated collection bins.

The collection points in Eastern district are listed here: https://eastern.successgrand.com.hk/recycleBin.html

As the pilot scheme in Kwun Tong and Sha Tin district will be launched in the third quarter of 2020, and therefore, we recommend citizens whom lives in district that is not involved in pilot scheme could recycle in the CGS nearby.

Where do the plastics go?

References

1. Green Sense (2020), <Online Purchase Packaging Survey 2020>, http://greensense.org.hk/en/?p=5679
2. The Environmental Protection Department (2018), The Environmental Protection Department: “Three Paper Two Plastics”, https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/wrp/recycling/paper_plastic_poster_en.html
3. The Environmental Protection Department (2019), “Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong”, https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/sites/default/files/msw2018.pdf
4. The Environmental Protection Department (2020), Plastic Recycling Pilot Scheme, https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/pilot_scheme_collect_recycle_plastics.htm
5. HK01.com (2020), 《東區首試中央收膠　承辦商月收逾十噸廢膠　最怕廚餘棄回收箱》, https://bit.ly/3fZlisV  (Chinese only)

]]> http://greensense.org.hk/en/2020/07/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%8f%af%e5%9b%9e%e6%94%b6%e7%89%a9%e8%b3%87%e8%a8%8a%e6%95%b4%e5%90%88/feed/ 0 http://greensense.org.hk/en/2020/05/%e7%b6%b2%e4%b8%8a%e8%b3%bc%e7%89%a9%e5%8c%85%e8%a3%9d%e8%aa%bf%e6%9f%a52020/ http://greensense.org.hk/en/2020/05/%e7%b6%b2%e4%b8%8a%e8%b3%bc%e7%89%a9%e5%8c%85%e8%a3%9d%e8%aa%bf%e6%9f%a52020/#comments Fri, 29 May 2020 06:08:49 +0000 laurent http://greensense.org.hk/?p=5679 Background

Online shopping is the hottest issue in recent years. It brings convenience to our daily life. However, it also brings us loads of packaging waste made by various materials, which may be hard to recycle. An escalating number of shopping online purchase is led by the outbreak of COVID-19. As a result, the packaging materials used are piling up as the same time.

Green Sense conducted a survey regarding the packaging of local online shopping in early April, 102 valid entries were collected. This survey is to study the current online shopping habit of Hong Kong citizens, the amount of packaging materials stemmed from online shopping, and post-consumption action taken. The findings may be able to let us rethink the waste problem led by online shopping, and urge the logistics company and online shops to reduce the packaging or use recyclable packaging materials instead.

Key Findings

1. Over-packaging problem is severe

Over half of the respondents (51%) share the same view that the situation of merchandises being over-packaged is severe. Summing up 656 items submitted, the average packing materials used was 2.18. It is common that one goods is wrapped by more than one packaging materials. The worst case was 12.67 units of packaging materials used for a single item.

2. Merchandises are wrapped in mixed packaging materials which is hard to recycle

Single online purchase could create up to 7 types of packaging materials including air bag, carton box, plastic bag, adhesive tape, bubble bag, cardboard and wrapping paper. Over half of the respondents mentioned single online purchase could receive at least have 4 types of packaging materials. Distinguishing recyclable materials would not be easy for citizens when an array of different packaging materials came at once. Given that adhesive tape is not recyclable, it is importance to separate tape from other materials beforehand. However, tapes are widely used in amount, that worsening waste separation and recycling.

3. Consumers willing to recycle face real-life obstacles

Notwithstanding most of the respondents are willing to recycle and reuse the packaging materials, the majority expressed their difficulties in recycling. Apart from the above mentioned reason, having too many kinds of packaging materials, they did not know where the packaging materials can be recycled. Government has long been focus on educating” three types of waste paper and two types of waste plastic containers” (Three types of waste paper covers newspapers, office papers, paperboard and two types of waste plastic containers include beverages or personal care products), Only the above waste plastic should be put into the waste separation bins.

However, packaging materials are not limited to the two types of waste plastic containers mentioned, other types of waste plastics can also be recyclable. For example, the inflatable air cushion plastic bag can be plastic code #2 or 4; bubble bags was found labelling #4, plastic bag can be made of plastic #2, 4 or 5; polyfoam wrappings are often found as #4 or 6. It is inconvenient for citizens to visit “Green Community Station”, usually remotely located, to recycle the above materials. The lack of waste recycling points does lower the recycling rate.

4. Respondents seek more environmental-friendly measures from online shops

The survey listed various environmental-friendly options in order to inquire environmental-friendly measures consumers are looking for (Question 9). About 90% of respondents hoped online shops to reduce unnecessary packaging, nearly 80% of the respondents opted that online shops should take the responsibility in reusing and making use of single or reusable packaging materials. Over 60% of the respondents accepted online platforms make good use of pre-owned or other brands packaging materials with a view to serving the purpose of reuse. Generally customers awaited online shops to implement more environmental-friendly measures. In which online shops and related platforms have to work in coordination with guidelines to cut down on the packaging.

Green Sense founded 15 years ago, it is also a milestone of waste reduction in Hong Kong: The opening of the first local drink carton recycling plant “Mil Mill” ,  as well as the imperative Municipal Solid Waste Charging. In order to arouse the awareness of newly added recyclables, taking proper actions in clean recycling, Green Sense Annual Charity Event (originally named “Charity Hike”) aimed to recruit numerous volunteers to build a giant Drink Carton Mosaic together.

The above description was the event introduction. Due to the outbreak and the lockdown, the volunteer event was forced to cancel. The content of the Charity Event altered from time to time. We worry our annual charity event would be doomed. Lacking of donation would widen the deficit and plans for environmental education in the community would be in vain.

Gladly, our teamwork, plus the supports from Sponsors and Green Partners made us overcoming all odds. A brand new Charity Event comes into the moment we stay at home more often, and be able to take part in clean recycling!

Collections boxes are newly setting up at multiple commercial buildings, shopping malls and residential properties.

When the virus dies down, the drink carton mosaic completed by our team will finally be displayed at public area, to echo the importance of clean recycling and collective contribution.

To treasure a single move to change the future, we hope all of you may donate to Green Sense, and live up together in a greener future.

Donate NOW：
Company      Individual 

Donate to Green Sense

Kowloon: Artisan Hub, KOHO, Majestic Park, Olympian City 1, Olympian City 2, Olympian City 3, One SilverSea, Park Metropolitan & The Hermitage

New Territories: Corinthia by the Sea,  Grand Palisades, Mayfair By The Sea I, Mayfair By The Sea II, Park Hillcrest, Park Villa & The Mediterranean

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Green Sense, established in 2004 and registered as Charitable Institutions in 2010. We aim to point out the non-environmental friendly practice in society through research and monitoring.  We enhance the environmental consciousness by education and publicity, in order to ultimately achieve an environmental friendly society, for the sake of our next generation.

We focus on waste management, global warming, ecological conservation, urban planning and reclamation. Collaboration with schools, companies, organizations for Environmental Education are welcome. Seminars, workshops and ecotours are our major education programmes.

More about us

This was the 9^th consecutive years that we have taken part in this annual march. Wishing to link our community with the environment, a recycling campaign was introduced to collect used plastic bottles and leaflets from the crowd. Indeed, we are all familiar with three-coloured recycling bins stood on the streets, but we may not be aware of how the materials should be recycled.

Taking plastic bottles as an example, the bottle-tops (PP 5), the plastic labels (varies) and the bottles (PET 1) are needed to be separated. The recommended plastic bottle recycling processes are as follows:

(1)   Remove the bottle cap

(2)   Empty and clean the bottle

(3)   Tear off the label on the bottle

(4)   Put them all in the recycling bin

Recycling makes earlier only if we do more in waste separation. The rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of our volunteers for recycling. Within such a short period, we collected hundreds of plastic bottles, thanks to the active response from the crowd.

We cannot solely rely on recycling while uncontrolled dumping still prevails. Source reduction should be the key to relieve the waste issue, as our landfills will hit to saturation point within years. We also co-operated with “Water For Free” providing water refilling service. For the sake of our already-trash-filled world, it is hoped that the public could reduce the use of PET plastic and bring their own reusable bottles.

More photos of the event: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm3CGGqd